


Sky Full of Stars

by EmbraceYourFreak



Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-04
Updated: 2016-05-04
Packaged: 2018-06-06 06:26:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6742957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmbraceYourFreak/pseuds/EmbraceYourFreak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They wondered what had changed between them. Something had shifted, and they didn't know what. But they were both ready to run with it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sky Full of Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Wow. I can't believe I actually wrote this. Honestly, just bury me with this ship because it is going to be the death of me. I've never written smut before, so I welcome any constructive criticism. Practice makes perfect, right?

She was adrift; floating on the surface of dark, cold water. She stared at the featureless black sky above her. She wondered what was happening, where was she?

  
Suddenly, the sea surrounding her began to churn. She found herself being quickly and mercilessly swallowed by the icy water. She thrashed desperately, trying and failing to pull herself to the surface. But which direction was the surface? The dark sky made her blind. She began to panic, and her heart pounded in her ears. She was swallowing mouthfuls of the water, and the iciness felt like knives in her throat and stomach. I’m going to die, she thought. She felt tears well behind her eyes as she opened her mouth to scream-

  
Anna Strong bolted upright, her scream dying before it could leave her mouth. She tried to will her heart into beating at a normal pace as she wiped cold sweat from her brow and took in her surroundings. She was not adrift in a dark ocean, but rather in her room at Whitehall. When she remembered this, for a moment she wished she were in the ocean.

  
Anna sighed, and swung her legs over the edge of the bed and placed her feet on the floor. The cool wood helped bring her back to reality. She stood and made her way to the window, and peered out. The Sound glistened in the moonlight; the dark water vaguely reminded her of her dream and she turned away from the window. She pulled her housecoat from the chair in the corner, and pulling it tight around her she ventured out into the hall. The sun would not be up for a few more hours, at least, and perhaps she could clear her head.

  
Her bare feet made little noise on the stairs as she descended. She stopped suddenly at the bottom when she saw a figure sitting on the settee in the parlor, and facing the window. At first she didn’t recognize who it was and thought she might need to go and wake Major Hewlett. Upon closer inspection, however, she realized that it was the Major she saw.

  
Anna stepped forward, but Major Hewlett did not turn. Anna looked more closely at his face. He was staring out the window, a strange and far-away look on his face. His short brown hair stuck out in several places, which meant that he too must have woken up suddenly. Anna smiled slightly at the sight as she stepped forward; it was quite unusual to see Major Hewlett looking disheveled.

  
“Major?” she said quietly. He blinked slowly, but did not stir. She furrowed her brow, and couldn’t help but wonder what caused him to be so deep in thought. She stepped forward again, now standing in the parlor entrance.

  
“Edmund?” she said, slightly louder. Using his first name even though she had his permission felt strange, but she found she quite liked the way his name felt on her lips. This time, she was able to bring him down from his cloud. He jumped slightly, eyes widening in…fear? The moment was brief though, and just as quickly his eyes returned to their usual warmth.

  
“Anna,” he said softly. She felt a peculiar feeling take hold of her when he said her name. She suppressed the foreign sensation as Edmund continued, “what are you doing up at this hour?” He stood and pulled his own robe around him, making his way toward her. He was barefoot, and she saw that his right foot was bandaged.

  
“I could ask you the same thing,” she answered. She moved to stand by the window, and he followed her. They both stood looking out, “I’m afraid I had rather a bad dream, and woke with quite a start.” He looked at her, concerned.

  
“I’m terribly sorry to hear that,” he said, “at the risk of sounding impertinent, what was your dream?”

  
“Oh, I forget now,” she lied, “but it did give me a fright indeed.” The feeling of drowning returned to her for a moment, but she quickly ignored it.  
“Well, I trust that you are alright now?” He asked.

  
“Yes, quite.” She answered, only half lying. She took a moment to look closely at Edmund’s face, and noticed just how weary he looked.  
“Are _you_ alright?” He smiled slightly.

  
“I’m afraid that, I too was subject to nightmares,” he replied, “but I am fine now.”

  
“I’m glad to hear it.” She said, and she meant it. They stood in comfortable silence for a few more moments, before Anna finally broke through their shared revere.

  
“Well,” she said, “I suppose I should try and get some sleep.” Edmund nodded, and walked by her side toward the stairs. She paused at the bottom, and looked at him.  
“If I may ask, what was your dream about Edmund?” He sighed, and placed a hand on the railing.

  
“I was dreaming of my time in captivity,” he said, “I admit, nightmares about that time have plagued me quite regularly since I returned.” He looked back, staring at nothing. In a moment of boldness, Anna reached her hand out and placed it on top of his on the railing. He turned suddenly and looked at her; she met his eyes and held his gaze.

  
“If you ever wish to…talk about it,” she said, “then I shall be more than happy to listen.” He thanked her, and they stood like that a moment. Their eyes locked, and a strange tension hung between them. It was the same feeling that hung in the air before a lightning storm; the air felt warm, and seemed to crackle with energy. She leaned in closer. _What am I doing?_ She thought, but was surprised when Edmund leaned closer as well. They now stood so close that Anna could feel the warmth radiating off Edmund’s body. She tilted her head, and saw that his eyes were only half open; she gasped slightly when he bent his head down leaning his forehead against hers.

  
Anna quivered slightly at the contact, but welcomed the warm sensation that slowly spread through her chest. She gasped when he suddenly placed his hands on her waist; she slowly reached up and placed both her hands on either side of his face. She felt the warmth beneath his skin, she could smell his shaving lather, and she wanted nothing more than to give in to that warmth that had now pooled deep in her abdomen. She leaned in, brushing her lips against his.

  
Suddenly, someone upstairs sneezed. Anna pulled away, the loss of Edmund’s warmth and touch left her suddenly very cold. It seemed as though the loss of contact was not lost on Edmund either; his cheeks had gone red, and he seemed off-balance. She knew it wasn’t just his foot. She quickly turned and went up the stairs, whispering a hurried ‘Good night’ over her shoulder. Once she shut her bedroom door behind her, she paused and waited. She heard his slow, uneven footsteps ascend the stairs and she cursed herself for not having the decency to offer to help him up the stairs. It wasn’t until she heard his door shut that she made an attempt to gather her racing thoughts.

  
She’d nearly kissed him, and if his actions had been anything to go on he’d nearly kissed her back. She shuffled quietly back to her bed to lie down, and hope that she would be able to sleep. Surprisingly sleep did find her, and when it did she did not dream of dark water.

Instead she dreamt of dark eyes and messy brown hair.

* * *

 

Edmund had to force himself to open his eyes the next morning. He hadn’t slept so soundly since before his capture, and he knew what had helped him find such peace. It was Anna, of course. Her touch had calmed his mind, even if it had caused his heart to race. They’d been so close last night, and he could still smell the scent of her hair. He could feel the cloth of her robe beneath his fingers, her hands on his face, and her lips nearly meeting his own...

  
He shook his head to clear the thoughts away. He should not be thinking such things about a married woman, no matter who her husband was. He crossed to a wash basin in the corner, and looked down at the ripples in the water. His dreams had been consumed by thoughts of Anna. Of her dark curls spread out like a halo on his pillow, her dark eyes looking up at him as her back arched-

  
Edmund splashed cold water on his face. _Enough of this,_ he thought. He hoped that he would prove a worthy match against such images. His hope was for naught.

  
He dressed, and as he combed his hair down he realized just what a state of undress he’d been in last night. His face began to heat up and he quickly pushed the thoughts from his mind. Once he was properly dressed, he ventured out into the hall. He turned to walk down the stairs and nearly collided with the woman that had consumed his waking (and apparently non-waking) hours. He composed himself; at least he was good at doing that.

  
“An-Mrs. Strong,” he quickly corrected himself, “how are you this morning?” She smiled at him, and fidgeted with the skirt of her blue dress.

  
“I’m well, thank you Major.” She answered simply. They stood there a moment; the tension hanging in the air was palpable. Finally, Edmund cleared his throat and descended the staircase with Anna close behind him. He took a deep breath, and hoped that he could make it through the day.

  
They entered the dining room together and took their seats at the table; Anna sat to Edmund’s left as she had done several times before. This time however, it seemed that Edmund was hyper-aware of her presence. The Woodhulls, however, were not picking up on the tension at the other end of the table, and they seemed wrapped up in their own discussion.

* * *

 

Anna sat quietly eating her breakfast, and occasionally caught Edmund’s eye. They shared several glances, and each time their eyes met a spark seemed to bounce between them. She noticed that, while he seemed more at ease than the night before, he was still on-edge. She couldn’t help but wonder what was preoccupying him. A few hours later, she believed she had an idea of what it was.

He loved her, and apparently had for some time. She stood in the hall, fighting back tears; whether they were tears of anger, sadness, or joy she couldn’t tell. She listened as he crossed the hall behind her, and ascended the stairs. It wasn’t until she heard the sound of his bedroom door close that she made her way to the back of the house, and she walked onto the back lawn. She didn’t stop walking until she stood on the edge of the Sound; once there was no sound but the water on the shore, she let go.

  
The tears ran hot down her cheeks. She leaned against a nearby tree, and attempted to gather her thoughts. She thought back to just a few minutes before, and how all she’d been able to say was ‘Thank you’. Her heart had been pounding, her thoughts racing, and all the while there was the warmth of her hand in his.

  
She paused, and thought of that. Her hand in his, the way he’d looked by the window last night, the feeling of his lips ghosting over hers. She thought of the way it felt when she thought he was lost to her forever. She thought of dreams she’d had; tangled sheets, his hands in her hair, and his mouth on her neck. She suddenly laughed through her tears.

  
“My God,” she said to herself, “I love him too.”

* * *

 

He watched from his window as she made her way across the lawn, her blue dress flowing behind her. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Had he made a huge mistake? He just couldn’t stand the thought of her leaving Whitehall.

  
_How selfish_ , he thought to himself. If she wanted to leave, she was within her rights to do so. No matter what his feelings, who was he to stop her from doing what made her happy? He had hoped, possibly, that he would be enough to make her happy. He shook his head, he was only thinking of himself again. He sat down at his desk, and put his head in his hands, convinced he'd just destroyed a friendship he held so dear.

* * *

 

Anna did not return to the house until after dinner, and she hoped that she had not caused too much worry. When she entered the house, it was quiet; it seemed as though everyone had retired for the evening. Slowly, she walked up the stairs; she listened as the wood creaked quietly underneath her feet. She had thought a great deal about what she was about to do, and had come to believe it was the right thing. She stood outside Edmund’s door and raised her hand to knock; she paused. What if he was asleep? She lowered her hand slightly, but then stopped; she needed to do this. She knocked on the door, and waited. At first she thought perhaps she was too late, but then she heard the sound of uneven footsteps. She stood up straight, and prepared herself for what she had to say.

  
The door creaked open, and Anna felt her heart beat faster when Edmund greeted her there. He was without his wig, jacket, or boots and for a moment she felt sorry that she hadn’t waited until morning. The look of concern and relief on his face, however, was enough to convince her she’d made the right choice.

  
“Anna!” he gasped, and the strange feeling she’d gotten the night before when he said her name returned. This time, she embraced it. “Are you alright? You must be freezing!” He took her hands then, and she felt the same spark she'd felt every time their eyes had met at breakfast.

  
“Edmund,” she said, ignoring the feeling for now, “I need to talk to you. May I come in?” He nodded, blushing slightly at her request. He stood aside as she entered; the fire was lit, and the heat was a welcome sensation. Edmund closed the door with a soft click, and turned to face her.

  
He could tell she’d been crying, and he felt a pang of guilt knowing he was likely the cause for her tears. She was looking at him, but not saying anything. He tried to discern the look in her eyes, but was unable to. When she said nothing, he decided to break the silence.

  
“Anna…” he began “about earlier; it was never my intention to upset you. I only…I realized during my time in captivity that life is precious, and that we have no way of knowing what may happen tomorrow. The thought of you leaving, I admit, terrified me and I only-” he stopped. She was staring at him, and she saw that new tears were making their way down her cheeks. He felt his heart rate pick up.

  
“Oh God,” he said, “I’ve upset you again. I’m sorry Anna; I never should have said anything. What a great fool I am, I never should have-” he didn’t get to finish his sentence. Anna had crossed the floor to stand in front of him. She grabbed the front of his vest, and pulled his face to hers.

  
It was like before. His head was resting against hers, his scent filling her nostrils, and their lips a hairsbreadth apart. He paused, she seemed to be waiting for him to do something; he relaxed, and placed his hands on Anna’s waist. That seemed like the right thing to do. He supposed he guessed right; Anna let go of his vest and moved her hands to cup his face. She smiled, and looked into his eyes.

  
“You tend to babble, did you know that?” Her breath ghosted over his mouth as she said it, and he nearly fell at her feet. He gathered himself long enough to chuckle lightly and smile.

  
“One of my many quirks I suppose.” She laughed again. God, that sound was like music. He wiped her tears away with one hand, letting his thumb linger on her cheek a moment. She sighed at his touch, and leaned her head on his shoulder; the smell of her hair was intoxicating and he closed his eyes. He whispered into her ear.

  
“What did you come here to talk to me about?” he asked. She turned her head and hummed into his neck; she felt him shiver as she did it. She pulled back a moment to look into his eyes again, missing the contact, but knowing what she had to say was vital.

  
“I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier,” she began, looking down, “when you told me of your feelings for me, I was…overwhelmed. I did not mean to run like I did, so to speak. The truth is, Edmund…” she looked up into his eyes, and saw him looking at her intently. She shuddered under his gaze. To think, a year ago she’d suggested killing the man the stood before her now; a man she’d come to respect, love, and desire. She tilted her head up then, and kissed him; she closed her eyes. She poured all her emotions into the contact, and felt Edmund’s body relax.

  
She wove her hands into his hair, pulling him closer, and felt his hands grip her waist tighter. He made a sound of disappointment when she broke the kiss, but she kept close to him. She smiled.

  
“The truth is, Edmund, I love you too.” He smiled, and she gasped as he pulled her in for another kiss. She reached up and unfastened her hair, letting it fall about her shoulders in dark waves. His hands quickly found their way into those waves, and she moaned into his mouth. They separated a moment, catching their breath. It didn’t last long. She pulled him in again and this time, when their lips met, she ran her tongue along his upper lip. She felt him moan as she slipped her tongue into his mouth.

Their tongues seemed to dance together, and Anna smiled when she felt Edmund moan. She found herself growing wet each time he did that, and did everything she could to elicit more sounds from him. 

  
He pulled back suddenly, only to place a kiss on the edge of her jaw. He continued like that; kissing her jaw, and moving down to her neck. She sighed and tilted her head to one side to give him better access. He continued to pepper kisses along her skin, leaving a trail of warmth she could feel spreading through her body. She gasped suddenly as she felt his teeth graze the point on her neck just above where her pulse raced. Edmund stopped, and looked at her; his eyes were intense but concerned.

  
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice deeper than normal, “did I hurt you?” She chuckled in response, and he furrowed his brow.

  
“No, only I wasn’t expecting that.” He stuttered and she saw color rise slightly in his cheeks, she smiled and silenced his mumbled apology by tasting the skin of his neck with her own lips. He gasped as she trailed kisses along his neck, leaving red marks all the while with her teeth. She began to undo the buttons on his vest, as she did he cupped her face and reclaimed her lips. His tongue slid inside her mouth again, and she pushed his vest over his shoulders and off completely. It fell to the floor, and she began to pull his shirt from the waistband of his breeches as he began to undo the fastenings on her bodice.

  
Edmund gasped as Anna pulled their lips apart, catching his bottom lip between her teeth as she did. He smirked at her, a devilish look in his eyes; Anna felt a wave of warmth flow through her abdomen at that look. She shed her now completely unfastened bodice and let it fall to the floor. Edmund leaned his head down and practically attacked her neck; she let out a low moan as he did. She reached up under his shirt, and felt the skin of his abdomen; his muscles were hard underneath her fingertips. She gently dragged her fingernails downward, she slipped her hand inside the waist of his breeches and-

  
“Ah!” Edmund let out a startled cry, and then immediately slapped a hand over his mouth. They looked at each other in silence, listening. There was no sound except for the crackle of the fire; it seemed as though they’d only just realized they were, sadly, not alone. Anna kissed his cheek, a strangely chaste gesture considering what they had just been doing; she whispered in his ear.

  
“Lock the door.” She stepped back as Edmund turned and crossed to his door; when he turned his back she began to undo her skirt, and let it fall to the floor. She heard the click of the lock and looked up; Edmund was staring at her, with a hungry look in his eyes. She grinned and unfastened her corset, and let it fall with the rest of her dress; as she stepped forward she left her shoes behind. Edmund continued to stare at her, taking her in; he felt a pulling sensation in his groin as she walked toward him. He walked forward to meet her, and as he did he pulled his shirt over his head and cast it aside. He paused and she stopped as well. They were within reach of each other, and Edmund reached out and placed his hand on Anna’s cheek. She leaned into his touch.

  
“You’re beautiful,” he said, “so beautiful.” He leaned in and kissed her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he moved his hands to her hips. She slowly led them together towards his bed; she felt the mattress bump against the back of her thighs. She sat and felt the mattress sink under her; he knelt before her, all the while maintaining eye contact with her. Anna reached forward and took Edmund’s face in her hands.

  
“You’re beautiful too.” He ran his hands up her legs and hooked his fingers around the edge of her stockings, pulling them off in a swift motion. He slowly pushed her chemise up over her knees, and continued to push it up as he stood slowly. She felt his hands glide over her thighs, then her waist, her ribs, until the garment was finally pulled over her head and discarded onto the floor. She shuddered as she felt his hands explore her body; she began to breathe heavily as he trailed kisses down her neck, and through the space between her breasts. She sat up before he could go lower, and began to undo his breeches.

  
He gasped as she pulled the constricting fabric over his hips, and let it fall to the floor. She stood, and pressed her body against his as she kissed him; she hummed in satisfaction when she felt him harden at the contact. They were both breathing heavily, and she separated their lips long enough to lean up and whisper in his ear.

  
_“Take me.”_ Edmund made a keening noise as he kissed her and lifted her up suddenly; he stepped forward and they fell together onto his bed. Anna moved back, resting her head against the pillows. Edmund moved so that his body hovered over hers; he pulled the covers of the bed back, and pulled them back over the two of them. She spread her legs as he positioned himself between her thighs. He was breathing heavily, and so was she; she could feel his pulse racing beneath her hands as she pulled her fingertips along the skin of his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her.

  
The warmth of their bodies had caused the both of them to perspire slightly. Anna laughed softly.

  
“I’m not cold anymore, in case you were wondering.” Edmund laughed with her.

  
“I’m glad to hear it.” He leaned down and kissed her, and ran his hand along her thighs before slipping his hand in between her legs. Anna moaned as he slipped his finger inside her; he was surprised at just how wet she was. He moved his finger in and out of her, and she continued to moan. He kissed her neck, and grunted as she raked her fingernails across his back. She reached a hand between them suddenly, and pulled his hand back. She then grabbed him, and stoked the shaft of his penis. He moaned into her neck as she did it again, and guided him into her.

  
His muscles tensed as she moved her hand from between them and wove her fingers into his hair. He gripped the sheets tightly in his fists as he pushed himself deeper inside her. A small cry of pleasure fell from his lips as she arched her back and brought her hips up to meet his. He pulled out slightly, only to push back into her. Anna wrapped her legs around Edmund’s waist as he found a rhythm; moving in and out of her slowly. He moaned as their lips met again and he felt her tongue sliding against his own. He felt her legs slide from around his waist and she planted her feet on the mattress.

  
She moved her hips up to meet his next thrust. Their pace suddenly picked up, if only slightly; their bodies were now covered in a thin layer of sweat, and when Anna opened her eyes she could see that his brown hair was stuck to his forehead. He looked at her then.

  
“A-Anna, I’m-” she kissed him to silence him. He moved his hands to grip her hips as his muscles tightened. She shuddered when she felt him finish, and heard him sigh as his muscles relaxed. He was still inside her when he slipped a hand between them once more. He felt her teeth sink into his shoulder as he used his fingers to bring her to her climax. He slid out of her, and rolled onto his back.

  
They both laid there a moment staring at the ceiling, the only sound to be heard was the sound of them attempting to catch their breath. She didn’t know how long they remained like that; she was calmly watching the light from the now dimming fire dance across the ceiling when she heard Edmund speak softly from beside her.

  
“Why are you crying?” he asked. He’d rolled onto his side and tucked one arm under his head. With his other hand he reached over and thumbed a tear off of her cheek, and she placed her hand over his.

“I didn’t realize I was.” She answered, and rolled onto her side to face him and placed her head against his chest.

  
“Are you upset?” He asked. She furrowed her brow; did he think she regretted their act? She removed her head from his chest to look at him. He seemed to have a guilty look in his eyes, and she wouldn’t have it. She kissed him, and it was warm and sweet.

  
“I’m not upset,” she said, “far from it, in fact. I think I was crying because I feel happier than I have in some time.” He smiled at her, and she placed her head against his chest again as he began to lightly run his fingertips up and down the length of her arm.

  
His breathing began to slow down and even-out and he felt hers begin to do the same. Anna sighed as she rolled onto her other side, and felt Edmund wrap his arms around her. She felt him kiss her neck lightly before he relaxed, burying his face in her hair. She wanted so much to remain like this forever; Edmund’s arms around her, his seed on her thigh, and his lips brushing against her neck. She felt shame well up in her for a moment; not because of what they’d done, but because of the truths she was keeping from him.

  
“Edmund?” She said quietly, the fire had died down significantly, and only a soft glow came from the hearth. She felt him hum softly to acknowledge that he’d heard her, and she continued, “Edmund I have something to tell you…” she trailed off as he shushed her softly.

  
“Not now,” he said, not sounding put-out or upset, but merely tired and content, “there’s no need to spoil this moment.” He kissed her shoulder, and she felt her shame disappear. There would be time later for them to discuss issues at hand, but for now she felt sleep pulling on her eyelids. As she drifted off to sleep, she imagined herself being happy, the war being over, and Edmund Hewlett by her side.

* * *

 

She was adrift again, floating. This time, however, the water was warm and welcoming; it made her feel light as air. She skimmed the surface of the placid waters with her fingers, and watched the ripples disperse quietly. She looked up to the sky and felt her eyes widen; the massive expanse above her was not pitch black as it had been.

  
This time, the sky was bright and millions of stars glistened above her.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, there you have it! I don't think that I'll ever expand on this, but who knows? I hope that you enjoyed it, and thank you so much for reading!


End file.
